Optus censored but still selling

Thou shalt not sledge NBN Co

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Optus will continue to sell, market and invest in wireless services despite a stringent condition regarding wireless marketing contained in its $AU800 million agreement with NBN Co.

The agreement, which will see Optus decommission its HFC network and transfer customers to NBN Co, includes a provision that prevents Optus from conducting a marketing campaign in the HFC coverage area which is negative in any way to NBN Co for a period of 15 years.

Speaking at an event in Sydney yesterday, NBN Co chief Mike Quigley said he didn’t see the clause as anti-competitive.

"We wanted to make sure that if we do a deal to have customers transferred, that we looked after the interest of the public to make sure we got traffic onto the network and there was nothing said with the people that we are doing a deal with that sledges the NBN," he said.

Optus has stated that the clause will not curtail its wireless marketing efforts nor its investment in progressive wireless technologies.

A spokesperson told The Register: “As outlined in our submission, the wireless marketing provision does not prevent Optus from marketing our wireless services to retail customers. The wireless marketing provision is effectively an anti-disparaging provision. It is limited in scope and Optus will remain free to compete in the market for the supply of wireless services.”

The spokesperson added that the wireless marketing provision would not act as a disincentive for Optus to invest in developing improved wireless technologies should it wish to do so and that Optus would be free to offer those services to its customers. ®